The Antediluvian Weapon An archaeological heist by Daniel M. Stelzer. Release 5. Serial number 260430. Dialog compiler version 1b/01-dev. Library version 1.1.1-dev. Automap version 1.1 by Daniel Stelzer. Suggestion Bars v0.1 by Daniel Stelzer. Versatile Linking v0.1 by Daniel Stelzer. Anteroom The palace is dark and silent this late at night. If you hadn’t specifically been summoned, you would have assumed the chapel was empty. Only a sliver of light around the door hints that you’re in the right place. Links indicate things you can interact with. Click on them to take a closer look. > x door A hint of light outlines the door to the lower chapel. After you examine something, the bar at the bottom of the screen will suggest some ways you could interact with it. > open door No need to knock—you’re expected, and nobody wants to be overheard tonight. You push the door open and step inside, blinking against the sudden candlelight. A conversation stops in its tracks. “Valentre. Good. Now we can begin.” Lower chapel This chapel is low and narrow, carved deep into the rock, and about 30 degrees offset from all the other hallways in the palace. The reason for this lies in the very center: the relic the chapel was built around. The Duke himself sits on a small throne, looking thoroughly displeased, while Aragosta stands opposite. “As I was saying...” The bar will also give a few general suggestions that are always applicable, like taking inventory to see what you’re carrying, or looking around at your surroundings. > z A moment slips away. Aragosta turns back to the Duke with a small, stiff bow. “It is a setback, yes, but a small one. I have contingencies in place. I have confirmation of the rumors, verified beyond a shadow of a doubt. The excavations in Piostro have found something dangerous. Not just a relic, but a military relic. A weapon of the Antediluvians.” If this interface isn’t working for you, you can use OPTIONS to adjust it to your liking. You can find some other options in the ≡ menu at the top right corner of the page. > aragostaz (I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you wanted to do.) > z A moment slips away. Aragosta continues. “In his last transmission, Manzio confirmed exactly where it’s being kept. I have the coordinates. Dosing the guards was a success. Until dawn tomorrow, the palace will only be defended by spirits. Not a single human. This is our best chance to act.” > x relic Anything surviving from before the Deluge is priceless, but this is Lucenza’s greatest treasure: a square plate of crystal about four feet across, its base anchored deep into the bedrock below. If used properly, it can transport someone to any corner of the world in an instant. (That “properly”, of course, carries quite a lot of weight.) Aragosta pushes her hair back, hiding a deep, steadying breath behind her hand. The Duke doesn’t seem to notice. “With the Great Pedestal, we can send Valentre to the weapon’s exact location. It will be a simple matter to remove it from the palace, and I’ll mobilize every one of my agents in Piostro to get it back to Lucenza.” > stand on pedestal It’s not the sort of relic one touches without permission. Aragosta watches the Duke with piercing intensity. Time seems to stand still...until he finally gives her a sigh and a nod. She turns to you, her smile vanishing as soon as His Grace can’t see. “This will help you navigate. Open it once you’re there.” She presses a small capsule into your hand. “Recover the relic, recover Manzio if you can, get out of the palace, and I’ll take it from there.” > stand on pedestal It’s not the sort of relic one touches without permission. The Duke sighs and waves a hand. A crimson-robed priest appears out of the shadows and kneels down to activate the relic—knowing Aragosta, he’s also on her payroll. Soon the pedestal whirs and a faint glow spills out from the edges, and the priest has just as quickly disappeared. > z A moment slips away. Aragosta looks at you expectantly. > stand on pedestal You take a deep breath and step onto the pedestal. The last thing you hear is the Duke muttering about “...loyalty to my late brothe—” —and your ears pop and the ground isn’t quite level and all of a sudden you’re staring up at two copies of a metal-plated ceiling. You close your eyes until the nausea passes and you can stand up without help. Strongroom So this is where Piostro keeps its greatest treasures. You might have expected the top of a tower, or even a small island—but no. Thick, stale air like this has to be underground. Instead of height or water, the security is in the walls themselves: every inch is plated with shiny metal. The door is no exception. The relic itself is sitting on a pedestal in the center. If you ever have to start the game over, you can SKIP INTRO to come back to this point. > get relic You reach out gingerly and put a hand on the grip. Nothing happens. You wrap your hand around it. Still nothing. So very carefully you lift it off the pedestal. It’s surprisingly light, as if made of wood instead of metal. But if it’s a weapon, you have no clear idea of how to activate it, either. You take a moment to examine it: If this is a weapon, it’s like no weapon you’ve ever seen before. There’s a grip toward the middle that should fit in one hand, but no blade, or anywhere to put a projectile. One side of the grip expands into a flat plate, a few inches across; the other spreads out into a tangle of wires, a few thick ones at first, branching out again and again until the ends are hair-thin and feel soft like fur. And no obvious way to activate it, either. Maybe you...touch it to something? One end? Both? > break capsule You drop the capsule on the ground and crush it under your heel, releasing the mist inside. It swirls around you and condenses into a faintly humanoid form, about a foot tall, resting on your shoulder. A minor air spirit. The figure rotates slowly in place, examining your surroundings, then leans in to whisper in your ear. Concepts form in your mind: this room has been designated the “origin”, the exit is east, and it’s now going to be tracking your position as you move. Teleportation is disorienting, but the sylph will help you navigate by compass directions. The map at the top of the screen shows where you’ve explored and where you could go next. > vanish door Well, here goes nothing. Testing an Antediluvian weapon at close range is, perhaps, not the wisest course of action—what if it’s some kind of explosive? But at the same time, what other choice do you have? So you grip the handle firmly, and press the flat plate against the strongroom door. Nothing. Maybe the tangle of wires? You brush the tips back and forth over the surface, but still nothing. Or does it have to be both? For a moment, still nothing, and then— You’re expecting a flash of light or an ear-splitting bang. But there’s just a sharp smell in the air, like the moment before a lightning storm, and the strongroom door is gone. Nothing is left but a faint ripple in the air. Since TOUCH THE RELIC TO [SOMETHING] is so long, you can simply VANISH [SOMETHING] for short. > e You walk east. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the now-doorless gap and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and a scaffold is taking up almost half of it. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. > n You walk north. Northern stair The bottom of the stair is tight and cramped, but it widens as it curves upward into a high, lofty walkway. Piostro is clearly flaunting their wealth: why else would they have frescos in a back passage like this? Vibrations ripple through the air as the strongroom door returns to the strongroom. > x fresco These ones show spirits materializing from their elements: sylphs from the air, undines from water, gnomes from earth, and salamanders from fire. Humans offer them sacrifices on pagan altars, but the spirits refuse to come near. > e You walk east. Northern walkway The passage is wide and the ceiling is high and vaulted, and the silence is deafening. Not a human in sight. Aragosta claimed Manzio poisoned the human guards before he was captured; apparently that wasn’t just a bluff. The frescos on the walls are just as elaborate as in the staircase. A gnome in the middle of the room stands rigidly at attention, its eyes never leaving the east exit. > vanish gnome You sneak up behind the gnome, readying the relic, preparing to slam both the plate and the wires against its body in an instant! ...but really, you needn’t have worried. It doesn’t react even as the weapon makes contact, and then it’s gone. It seems this one was only watching for visual cues. > e You walk east. Barracks This room was clearly evacuated in a hurry: the beds are a mess and the trunks left open. With any luck, the human guards will be in the infirmary for at least a few hours more. The door is designed to blend seamlessly into the wall, with bright marks on this side highlighting the edges. > undo Undoing the last turn (e). Northern walkway > save Game state saved successfully. > e You walk east. Barracks This room was clearly evacuated in a hurry: the beds are a mess and the trunks left open. With any luck, the human guards will be in the infirmary for at least a few hours more. The door is designed to blend seamlessly into the wall, with bright marks on this side highlighting the edges. > x beds Four of them, all unmade and tousled. There’s a sizzling in the air and the gnome reappears. You were preparing to leap out of the way, but it doesn’t react—it cares about its little sliver of room and not an inch more, even when you’re standing directly in its line of sight. > look under beds You find nothing under the beds. > x trunks The guards must have been in quite a hurry to leave these open. A kit bag is in the trunks. Some personal belongings are in the trunks. > get kit bag You take the kit bag out of the trunks. You take a moment to examine it: About the size of your entire body, if you curled up, with a shoulder strap for carrying. A spare uniform is in the kit bag. > put on uniform (first attempting to take the spare uniform) You take the spare uniform out of the kit bag. You take a moment to examine it: It looks to be approximately your size. You slip the pieces on over your own clothes, trying to pad it out enough to hide the size mismatch. It could fool someone from a distance, at least. > l Barracks This room was clearly evacuated in a hurry: the beds are a mess and the trunks left open. With any luck, the human guards will be in the infirmary for at least a few hours more. The door is designed to blend seamlessly into the wall, with bright marks on this side highlighting the edges. > x trunks The guards must have been in quite a hurry to leave these open. Some personal belongings are in the trunks. > x belongings Some of them must be valuable, but there’s no time to sift through right now. > search belongings Some of them must be valuable, but there’s no time to sift through right now. > vanish door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the barracks door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the barracks door is gone. > s You walk south. Hallway corner The passage ends here, in front of the grand door leading out to the east. The metal grate on the west side is almost invisible by comparison. > open door The grand door is locked. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the barracks door is back as if it had never left. > vanish grand door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the grand door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the grand door is gone. > e The uniform is a good first step, but knowing Piostran security, they’ll also have some kind of password. If anyone stops you, you’ll need to know it. > vanish grate You take the relic in both hands and press it against the metal grate, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the metal grate is gone. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the grand door is back as if it had never left. > vanish grand doorw (I only understood you as far as wanting to vanish something.) > w You grab hold of the edge and lower yourself carefully through the hole. But your feet don’t find any purchase, and the last several feet are a blind drop into the darkness. Oubliette The light coming through the hole is dim, too dim to see more than outlines. A wide, round chamber. A scaffold against the west wall. A few handfuls of straw. The enemies of Piostro, it seems, deserve only the best accommodations. A crumpled figure lies off to one side, unmoving. > x figure This must be Manzio, the last agent who tried to steal this relic. You check him over: face pale, breathing faint, old blood sticky on the back of his head. Not pretty. He’ll be fine once the physicians have his sanguine humors strengthened, but until then, he’s thoroughly out of commission. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the metal grate is back as if it had never left. > search mazio (I only understood you as far as wanting to search something.) > l Oubliette The light coming through the grate is dim, too dim to see more than outlines. A wide, round chamber. A scaffold against the west wall. A few handfuls of straw. The enemies of Piostro, it seems, deserve only the best accommodations. A crumpled figure lies off to one side, unmoving. > vanish scaffold You set the relic against the scaffold, plate on one side, wires on the other, and in another instant the scaffold is gone. A moment later, you hear a distressingly loud groan from the wall. You barely have time to duck out of the way before the newly-mortared stones come crashing to the ground, leaving a crack about a foot wide. A possible escape? > x crack You could fit through, as long as you weren’t carrying anything too bulky. > w You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. The scaffold reappears—and immediately shatters itself to splinters. With the wall collapsed, there’s simply no room where it used to be. > e You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Oubliette The light coming through the grate is dim, too dim to see more than outlines. A wide, round chamber. A narrow crack in the west wall. A few handfuls of straw. The enemies of Piostro, it seems, deserve only the best accommodations. A crumpled figure lies off to one side, unmoving. > x push manzio through crack (I only understood you as far as wanting to examine something.) > x manzio This must be Manzio, the last agent who tried to steal this relic. He’ll be fine once the physicians have his sanguine humors strengthened, but until then, he’s thoroughly out of commission. > talk to manzio There is no reply. > get manzio With a grunt of effort, you heave Manzio over your shoulder. > w The crack is less than a foot wide. You could squeeze through on your own, but not while carrying another person. > put manzio in crack You could probably force Manzio’s body through a one-foot crack if you really had to, but he might not look so good afterward. Better to leave him here until you can find a safer alternative. > drop manzio You dump Manzio back on the ground. > w You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. > put manzio in cracks (I only understood you as far as wanting to put something in something.) > s You walk south. Southern stair The bottom of the stair is tight and cramped, but it widens as it curves upward into a high, lofty walkway. Piostro is clearly flaunting their wealth: why else would they have frescos in a back passage like this? > e You walk east. Southern walkway The passage is wide and the ceiling is high and vaulted, and the silence is deafening. Not a human in sight. The frescos on the walls are just as elaborate as in the staircase. A puddle of water covers the floor in front of the east exit. > i You have a kit bag, a mapping sylph, the relic weapon, and a folded letter. You’re wearing a spare uniform. > x bag About the size of your entire body, if you curled up, with a shoulder strap for carrying. > look in bag The kit bag is empty. > e As you step across the puddle, the water starts to swirl together... Mess Or maybe “break room” would be more apt? Most of the space has been cleared for a large skittle board in the center, left in the middle of the game. A writing board hangs from a tack on the wall. A sloshing sound comes from west. Before you can turn to look, the mapping sylph whispers something in your ear, and you suddenly have a vivid image in your mind: the water in the southern hall is swirling and bubbling. > read writing board A short message is scrawled in the wax: TODAY’S PASSWORD - RANCIO. A little arrow underneath shows where a “D” is supposed to be inserted between the “I” and the “O”. You take a moment to remember that. The mapping sylph whispers again, and a new image forms in your mind: the water in the southern hall is starting to rise into a column, like an upside-down whirlpool. > vanish door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the mess door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the mess door is gone. Another whispered image: the water-column in the southern hall is starting to split, forming legs, arms, a small head. > n You walk north. Hallway junction The passages from the barracks and mess meet here, in front of the grand door leading out to the east. The metal grate on the west side is almost invisible by comparison. The barracks door would be invisible if you didn’t already know it was there. The undine in the southern hall has fully taken shape, a small humanoid made of whirling water. > vanish grate You take the relic in both hands and press it against the metal grate, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the metal grate is gone. The undine is whirling away. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the mess door is back as if it had never left. > w You grab hold of the edge and lower yourself carefully through the hole. But your feet don’t find any purchase, and the last several feet are a blind drop into the darkness. Oubliette The light coming through the hole is dim, too dim to see more than outlines. A wide, round chamber. A narrow crack in the west wall. A few handfuls of straw. The enemies of Piostro, it seems, deserve only the best accommodations. You see Manzio here. The undine swirls eastward from the southern walkway to the mess, mirroring your every step. > w You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. Your trail lingers in the mess, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles. Thanks to the sylph, you can visualize it like a ribbon of light in your mind: it should be in there for about one minute more. Vibrations ripple through the air as the metal grate returns to the hallway junction. > s You walk south. Southern stair The bottom of the stair is tight and cramped, but it widens as it curves upward into a high, lofty walkway. Piostro is clearly flaunting their wealth: why else would they have frescos in a back passage like this? Your trail lingers in the mess, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles with a splash. > n You walk north. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. The undine sloshes through the cracks around the mess door, reforming in the hallway junction. > n You walk north. Northern stair The bottom of the stair is tight and cramped, but it widens as it curves upward into a high, lofty walkway. Piostro is clearly flaunting their wealth: why else would they have frescos in a back passage like this? Your trail lingers in the hallway junction, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles. > e You walk east. Northern walkway The passage is wide and the ceiling is high and vaulted, and the silence is deafening. Not a human in sight. The frescos on the walls are just as elaborate as in the staircase. A gnome in the middle of the room stands rigidly at attention, its eyes never leaving the east exit. The undine sloshes through the holes in the metal grate, reforming in the oubliette. > vanish gnome You press the relic against the gnome with casual ease, and it disappears. The undine sloshes through the narrow crack, reforming in the tunnel junction. > e You walk east. Barracks This room was clearly evacuated in a hurry: the beds are a mess and the trunks left open. With any luck, the human guards will be in the infirmary for at least a few hours more. The door is designed to blend seamlessly into the wall, with bright marks on this side highlighting the edges. The undine swirls southward from the tunnel junction to the southern stair, leaving a faint trail of ice. > vanish door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the barracks door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the barracks door is gone. The undine swirls northward from the southern stair to the tunnel junction, hissing faintly with steam. There’s a sizzling in the air and the gnome reappears. Once again, it doesn’t react—it cares about its little sliver of room and not an inch more, even when you’re standing directly in its line of sight. > s You walk south. Hallway junction The passages from the barracks and mess meet here, in front of the grand door leading out to the east. The metal grate on the west side is almost invisible by comparison. The mess door would be invisible if you didn’t already know it was there. The undine swirls northward from the tunnel junction to the northern stair, leaving a faint trail of ice. > vanish door Did you want to vanish the mess door to the south or the grand door to the east? > e Undines are slow but persistent, and this one isn’t likely to stop until it’s caught you. You’ll need to deal with it before you leave. The undine swirls eastward from the northern stair to the northern walkway, hissing faintly with steam. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the barracks door is back as if it had never left. > vanish s door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the mess door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the mess door is gone. Your trail lingers in the northern walkway, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles, mirroring your every step. > grand doors (I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you wanted to do.) > s You walk south. Mess Or maybe “break room” would be more apt? Most of the space has been cleared for a large skittle board in the center, left in the middle of the game. A writing board hangs from a tack on the wall. The undine swirls eastward from the northern walkway to the barracks, hissing faintly with steam. > w You walk west. Southern walkway The passage is wide and the ceiling is high and vaulted, and the silence is deafening. Not a human in sight. The frescos on the walls are just as elaborate as in the staircase. Your trail lingers in the barracks, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles. Vibrations ripple through the air as the mess door returns to the hallway junction. > w You walk west. Southern stair The bottom of the stair is tight and cramped, but it widens as it curves upward into a high, lofty walkway. Piostro is clearly flaunting their wealth: why else would they have frescos in a back passage like this? The undine sloshes through the cracks around the barracks door, reforming in the hallway junction. > n You walk north. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. Your trail lingers in the hallway junction, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles. You visualize the path: it should be in there for about one minute more. > z A moment slips away. Your trail lingers in the hallway junction, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles, hissing faintly with steam. > z A moment slips away. The undine sloshes through the cracks around the mess door, reforming in the mess. > z A moment slips away. The undine swirls westward from the mess to the southern walkway. > vanish w door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the strongroom door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the strongroom door is gone. The undine swirls westward from the southern walkway to the southern stair with a splash. > w You walk west. Strongroom So this is where Piostro keeps its greatest treasures. You might have expected the top of a tower, or even a small island—but no. Thick, stale air like this has to be underground. Instead of height or water, the security is in the walls themselves: every inch is plated with shiny metal. The lack of a door is a glaring exception. The undine swirls northward from the southern stair to the tunnel junction. > e You walk east. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the now-doorless gap and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. An undine whirls through the room, spraying water all over. Your trail lingers in this location, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles. Which brings it directly in front of you! A moment later your feet are frozen to the ground, and a howling echo resounds through the palace. Now all of Piostro knows you’re here. *** You have been caught *** Would you like to: UNDO the last move, RESTORE a saved position, or RESTART from the beginning? > undo Undoing the last turn (e). Strongroom > undo Undoing the last turn (w). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (vanish w door). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (z). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (z). Tunnel junction > vanish w door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the strongroom door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the strongroom door is gone. The undine sloshes through the cracks around the mess door, reforming in the mess. > w You walk west. Strongroom So this is where Piostro keeps its greatest treasures. You might have expected the top of a tower, or even a small island—but no. Thick, stale air like this has to be underground. Instead of height or water, the security is in the walls themselves: every inch is plated with shiny metal. The lack of a door is a glaring exception. The undine swirls westward from the mess to the southern walkway. > e You walk east. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the now-doorless gap and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. The undine swirls westward from the southern walkway to the southern stair with a splash. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the strongroom door is back as if it had never left. > n You walk north. Northern stair The bottom of the stair is tight and cramped, but it widens as it curves upward into a high, lofty walkway. Piostro is clearly flaunting their wealth: why else would they have frescos in a back passage like this? The undine swirls northward from the southern stair to the tunnel junction, hissing faintly with steam. > z A moment slips away. Your trail lingers in the tunnel junction, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles. > z A moment slips away. Your trail lingers in the tunnel junction, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles with a splash. > z A moment slips away. The undine splashes against the vault door, but is unable to pass through! > undo Undoing the last turn (z). Northern stair > undo Undoing the last turn (z). Northern stair > undo Undoing the last turn (z). Northern stair > undo Undoing the last turn (n). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (e). Strongroom > undo Undoing the last turn (w). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (vanish w door). Tunnel junction > vanish w (I only understood you as far as wanting to vanish something.) > vanish w door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the strongroom door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the strongroom door is gone. The undine sloshes through the cracks around the mess door, reforming in the mess. > w You walk west. Strongroom So this is where Piostro keeps its greatest treasures. You might have expected the top of a tower, or even a small island—but no. Thick, stale air like this has to be underground. Instead of height or water, the security is in the walls themselves: every inch is plated with shiny metal. The lack of a door is a glaring exception. The undine swirls westward from the mess to the southern walkway. > e You walk east. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the now-doorless gap and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. The undine swirls westward from the southern walkway to the southern stair, hissing faintly with steam. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the strongroom door is back as if it had never left. > vanish w door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the strongroom door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the strongroom door is gone. The undine swirls northward from the southern stair to this location. You dodge sharply to the side, and the momentum of the undine’s travel brings it sailing past you. Without that momentum, though, you might have been caught! > vanish me You press the relic against yourself, first the plate, and then the wires, and— Nowhere You try to open your eyes, but there’s no light, or darkness—there’s simply nothing to see. Or hear, or feel. It’s not hot, or cold...it’s not anything, really. You aren’t anything. You simply no longer exist. > z You focus your mind and try to wait, but nothing happens. Time doesn’t even seem to pass. Vibrations ripple through the air as the strongroom door returns to the tunnel junction. > z You focus your mind and try to wait, but nothing happens. Time doesn’t even seem to pass. And then there’s a sensation. A spark of light— —and the world reappears. You stagger to your knees and suck in a deep, gasping breath. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. An undine whirls through the room, spraying water all over. Your trail lingers in this location, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles. Which brings it directly in front of you! A moment later your feet are frozen to the ground, and a howling echo resounds through the palace. Now all of Piostro knows you’re here. *** You have been caught *** Would you like to: UNDO the last move, RESTORE a saved position, or RESTART from the beginning? > undo Undoing the last turn (z). Nowhere > undo Undoing the last turn (z). Nowhere > undo Undoing the last turn (vanish me). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (vanish w door). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (e). Strongroom > undo Undoing the last turn (w). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (vanish w door). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (vanish w). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (z). Tunnel junction > undo Undoing the last turn (n). Southern stair > undo Undoing the last turn (w). Southern walkway > w You walk west. Southern stair The bottom of the stair is tight and cramped, but it widens as it curves upward into a high, lofty walkway. Piostro is clearly flaunting their wealth: why else would they have frescos in a back passage like this? The undine sloshes through the cracks around the barracks door, reforming in the hallway junction. > n You walk north. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. Your trail lingers in the hallway junction, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles. You visualize the path: it should be in there for about one minute more. > vanish w door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the strongroom door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the strongroom door is gone. Your trail lingers in the hallway junction, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles, hissing faintly with steam. > w You walk west. Strongroom So this is where Piostro keeps its greatest treasures. You might have expected the top of a tower, or even a small island—but no. Thick, stale air like this has to be underground. Instead of height or water, the security is in the walls themselves: every inch is plated with shiny metal. The lack of a door is a glaring exception. The undine sloshes through the cracks around the mess door, reforming in the mess. > e You walk east. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the now-doorless gap and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. The undine swirls westward from the mess to the southern walkway, leaving a faint trail of ice. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the strongroom door is back as if it had never left. > z A moment slips away. The undine swirls westward from the southern walkway to the southern stair. > vanish w door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the strongroom door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the strongroom door is gone. The undine swirls northward from the southern stair to this location with a splash. You dodge sharply to the side, and the momentum of the undine’s travel brings it sailing past you. Without that momentum, though, you might have been caught! > n You walk north. Northern stair The bottom of the stair is tight and cramped, but it widens as it curves upward into a high, lofty walkway. Piostro is clearly flaunting their wealth: why else would they have frescos in a back passage like this? Your trail lingers in the tunnel junction, so the undine follows it in wide, sweeping circles, leaving a faint trail of ice. > e You walk east. Northern walkway The passage is wide and the ceiling is high and vaulted, and the silence is deafening. Not a human in sight. The frescos on the walls are just as elaborate as in the staircase. A gnome in the middle of the room stands rigidly at attention, its eyes never leaving the east exit. The undine swirls westward from the tunnel junction to the strongroom. Vibrations ripple through the air as the strongroom door returns to the tunnel junction. > vnaish gnome (I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you wanted to do.) > vanish gnome You press the relic against the gnome with casual ease, and it disappears. The undine splashes against the vault door, but is unable to pass through! It swirls around in consternation, but trapped in one place, there’s no way for it to carry out its instructions—which means its task is complete. With a satisfied hissss, it explodes back into a thousand tiny droplets. > e You walk east. Barracks This room was clearly evacuated in a hurry: the beds are a mess and the trunks left open. With any luck, the human guards will be in the infirmary for at least a few hours more. The door is designed to blend seamlessly into the wall, with bright marks on this side highlighting the edges. > vanish s door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the barracks door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the barracks door is gone. There’s a sizzling in the air and the gnome reappears. Once again, it doesn’t react—it cares about its little sliver of room and not an inch more, even when you’re standing directly in its line of sight. > s You walk south. Hallway junction The passages from the barracks and mess meet here, in front of the grand door leading out to the east. The metal grate on the west side is almost invisible by comparison. The mess door would be invisible if you didn’t already know it was there. > vanish e (I only understood you as far as wanting to vanish something.) > vanish e door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the grand door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the grand door is gone. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the barracks door is back as if it had never left. > e With the uniform and the password, you should have everything you need to escape. But Manzio isn’t with you—are you prepared to leave without him? yes / no > n > vanish w door (I only understood you as far as wanting to vanish something.) > vanish w door (I only understood you as far as wanting to vanish something.) > undo Undoing the last turn (vanish w door). Hallway junction > undo Undoing the last turn (vanish w door). Hallway junction > vanish grate You take the relic in both hands and press it against the metal grate, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the metal grate is gone. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the grand door is back as if it had never left. > w You grab hold of the edge and lower yourself carefully through the hole. But your feet don’t find any purchase, and the last several feet are a blind drop into the darkness. Oubliette The light coming through the hole is dim, too dim to see more than outlines. A wide, round chamber. A narrow crack in the west wall. A few handfuls of straw. The enemies of Piostro, it seems, deserve only the best accommodations. You see Manzio here. > x straw It gestures at comfort without providing any. Which is worse than just having nothing at all. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the metal grate is back as if it had never left. > put straw in crack (first attempting to take the straw) You take the straw. Why not just carry it through yourself? > drop straw The straw falls to the ground. > put manzio on straw (first attempting to take Manzio) With a grunt of effort, you heave Manzio over your shoulder. You can’t put things on the straw. > vanish manzio You try to balance the relic and Manzio between your hands, but it’s just too awkward; you lay him out on the ground and try again. Relic in one hand, tangle of wires in the other, stretched across the length of his body, and this time it takes effect with a hissing, sizzling crack. There’s nothing left but a ripple in the air. > w You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. > n You walk north. Northern stair The bottom of the stair is tight and cramped, but it widens as it curves upward into a high, lofty walkway. Piostro is clearly flaunting their wealth: why else would they have frescos in a back passage like this? Vibrations ripple through the air as Manzio returns to the oubliette. > i You have a kit bag, a mapping sylph, the relic weapon, and a folded letter. You’re wearing a spare uniform. > s You walk south. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. > e You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Oubliette The light coming through the grate is dim, too dim to see more than outlines. A wide, round chamber. A narrow crack in the west wall. A few handfuls of straw. The enemies of Piostro, it seems, deserve only the best accommodations. You see Manzio here. You see some straw here. > put manzion in bag (I only understood you as far as wanting to put something in the kit bag.) > put manzio in bag (first attempting to take Manzio) With a grunt of effort, you heave Manzio over your shoulder. With some effort, you maneuver Manzio into the bag. One arm trails out, and the whole thing is rather bulky and awkward now, but he fits. > vanish bag You try to balance the relic and the kit bag between your hands, but it’s just too awkward; you lay it out on the ground and try again. Relic in one hand, tangle of wires in the other, stretched across its length, and this time it takes effect with a hissing, sizzling crack. There’s nothing left but a ripple in the air. > w You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. > z A moment slips away. Vibrations ripple through the air as the kit bag returns to the oubliette. > z A moment slips away. > i You have a mapping sylph, the relic weapon, and a folded letter. You’re wearing a spare uniform. > e You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Oubliette The light coming through the grate is dim, too dim to see more than outlines. A wide, round chamber. A narrow crack in the west wall. A few handfuls of straw. The enemies of Piostro, it seems, deserve only the best accommodations. You see a kit bag here. You see some straw here. > push bag through crack (I only understood you as far as wanting to push something.) > w You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. > get bag (I only understood you as far as wanting to take something.) > x bag (I only understood you as far as wanting to examine something.) > e You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Oubliette The light coming through the grate is dim, too dim to see more than outlines. A wide, round chamber. A narrow crack in the west wall. A few handfuls of straw. The enemies of Piostro, it seems, deserve only the best accommodations. You see a kit bag here. You see some straw here. > get bag You take the kit bag. > close bag You close the kit bag. > vanish grate You can’t reach the metal grate. > x bag About the size of your entire body, if you curled up, with a shoulder strap for carrying. Currently closed. > x oubliette The light coming through the grate is dim, too dim to see more than outlines. A wide, round chamber. A narrow crack in the west wall. A few handfuls of straw. The enemies of Piostro, it seems, deserve only the best accommodations. > put bag on straw You can’t put things on the straw. > x straw It gestures at comfort without providing any. Which is worse than just having nothing at all. > take straw You take the straw. > pull bag You yank at the kit bag, but nothing noteworthy happens. > e (first attempting to open the metal grate to the east) You can’t reach the metal grate. > w The crack is less than a foot wide. You could squeeze through on your own, but not while carrying another person—even in a bag. > vanish manzio (I only understood you as far as wanting to vanish something.) > open bag You open the kit bag, revealing Manzio. > vanish manzio You try to balance the relic and Manzio between your hands, but it’s just too awkward; you lay the kit bag out on the ground and try again. Relic in one hand, tangle of wires in the other, stretched across the length of his body, and this time it takes effect with a hissing, sizzling crack. There’s nothing left but a ripple in the air. You make sure to grab the kit bag again afterward. > get bag You’re already holding the kit bag. > w You squeeze your way carefully through the crack. Tunnel junction The tunnel is higher and wider than the strongroom itself, but not by much. There’s less than three feet of space between the strongroom door and the flat, smooth wall of what must be a tower—and now you have to pick your way through the debris, too. Staircases on either side curve upward toward the light. A narrow crack leads into darkness. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and Manzio is back in the kit bag as if he had never left. > n You walk north. Northern stair The bottom of the stair is tight and cramped, but it widens as it curves upward into a high, lofty walkway. Piostro is clearly flaunting their wealth: why else would they have frescos in a back passage like this? > e You walk east. Northern walkway The passage is wide and the ceiling is high and vaulted, and the silence is deafening. Not a human in sight. The frescos on the walls are just as elaborate as in the staircase. A gnome in the middle of the room stands rigidly at attention, its eyes never leaving the east exit. > vanish gnome You press the relic against the gnome with casual ease, and it disappears. > e You walk east. Barracks This room was clearly evacuated in a hurry: the beds are a mess and the trunks left open. With any luck, the human guards will be in the infirmary for at least a few hours more. The door is designed to blend seamlessly into the wall, with bright marks on this side highlighting the edges. > vanish s door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the barracks door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the barracks door is gone. There’s a sizzling in the air and the gnome reappears. Once again, it doesn’t react—it cares about its little sliver of room and not an inch more, even when you’re standing directly in its line of sight. > s You walk south. Hallway junction The passages from the barracks and mess meet here, in front of the grand door leading out to the east. The metal grate on the west side is almost invisible by comparison. The mess door would be invisible if you didn’t already know it was there. > vanish grand door You take the relic in both hands and press it against the grand door, plate on one side, wires on the other. The whole thing shivers and the smell of lightning fills the air, and the grand door is gone. For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the barracks door is back as if it had never left. > e You walk east. Colonnade The gap in the wall leads out to an airy walkway lined with columns. Past the columns, smooth roofs slope down to the north and south, and you can see courtyards far below. A salamander stands in the middle of the colonnade, blocking your path. “Halt!” The salamander spits out the word in a dry, crackling voice. “Password?” > say password (I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you wanted to do.) > remember password (I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you wanted to do.) > * cue made me think game would remember > say rancido (I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you wanted to do.) > say "rancido" (I’m sorry, I didn’t understand what you wanted to do.) > talk to salamander “The password is RANCIDO.” You give it without hesitation. But you’ve barely finished the word before the salamander cuts you off. The salamander flickers blue-green. “Wrong! Old password. New password is NESSUNA. Intruder. INTRUDER!” Before you can say another word, it starts to swell—it’s about to detonate! > n You can’t outrun an explosion! For just a moment the air goes sharp and hot again, and the grand door is back as if it had never left. > e You can’t outrun an explosion! > vanish me You grab at the weapon, pointing it toward your chest. Is this wise? There’s no time to question it—there’s no time for thought—only for action. The plate presses against your sternum, and you lean forward against the wires, and— Nowhere You try to open your eyes, but there’s no light, or darkness—there’s simply nothing to see. Or hear, or feel. It’s not hot, or cold...it’s not anything, really. You aren’t anything. You simply no longer exist. > z You focus your mind and try to wait, but nothing happens. Time doesn’t even seem to pass. > z You focus your mind and try to wait, but nothing happens. Time doesn’t even seem to pass. And then there’s a sensation. A spark of light— —and the world reappears. You stagger to your knees and suck in a deep, gasping breath. Colonnade The whole colonnade is painted black with soot, the grand door badly scorched. You can hear people moving all around, roused by the explosion. But no one in sight—this is your chance to flee! > e You dash along the colonnade, scrabble across the roofs, leap down to the courtyard below. The password was changed, but the uniform is still good, and most of the guards are out sick—if you can just get out of the palace, Aragosta will have mobilized everyone she has in Piostro. And with this relic, no door or barrier can stand in your way. If you play your cards right, you can expect quite a reward back in Lucenza! *** You have won (and rescued Manzio, too!) *** Would you like to: UNDO the last move, RESTORE a saved position, or RESTART from the beginning? >